Colm Tóibín quits as Listowel Writers' Week president as row escalates
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Efforts are underway to resolve an escalating row threatening Listowel Writers' Week after the festival's president, novelist Colm Tóibín, quit because the voluntary committee behind the literary festival was disbanded.
The committee, which has planned the festival's literary input over five decades, was told in September that, following a consultant’s report, they are to be replaced by a professional curator.
It has now emerged that writer Colm Tóibín, who has a long involvement with Listowel, has stepped down as festival president following the decision to disband the volunteers. Mr Tóibín said he has informed the festival board's chair of his decision.
Speaking from Germany, where he is attending a conference, Mr Tóibín said:
"I see this as best practice, as a model for any other literary festival.”
The celebrated Enniscorthy-born writer's work includes the novel and later film, , and he is also an essayist and journalist. Mr Tóibín is also Professor of the Humanities at Columbia University in New York. He is currently Laureate for Irish Fiction 2022-2024.
The voluntary committee for Listowel Writers' Week was disbanded after an independent consultant's report by Dermot McLaughlin recommended a restructuring
The report — which was funded, but not directly commissioned by the Arts Council — was to ensure the festival complied with governance issues in funding applications. The board's chairperson, Catherine Moylan said its recommendations were unanimously accepted by the board.
Ms Moylan said Listowel Writers' Week — Ireland's longest-running literary festival — is facing growing competition as it is now one of 50 such events. The festival was committed to greater diversity and inclusivity and to having more people than ever before being involved, as volunteers, although in altered roles. She appreciated that change “would be difficult for some to accept”.
However, the decision to disband the existing committee has caused anger among the 30 or so long-serving volunteers.
The committee, who have yet to officially see the report, said they were taken completely by surprise by the decision and “the publication of the private and confidential report has been highly offensive to every single member".
Sections of the report — which were leaked to the media — had described "the culture” of Writers Week as “toxic”.
Former arts minister and board member Jimmy Deenihan said “the impasse” has to be resolved as the festival is too important to be jeopardised. Matters are now at a sensitive stage, he conceded.
He said copies of the report will be sent on Monday to key members of the committee.
The appointment of the curator is also underway with interviews having already taken place.
Meanwhile, the governance issues which threaten the 52-year-old Listowel festival are affecting other arts festivals, the Seanad has been told.
Issues of control were “stifling” creative spirit which comes from the local community, Fianna Fáil senator Ned O’Sullivan, a Listowel native, told the Seanad this week.
“Issues of governance and control that have begun to limit the creative freedom and the level of community involvement in some of these events,” Mr O’Sullivan said in the senate.
While the changes had been necessary in recent years , there was increasing evidence that “overemphasis on governance issues is leading to a paralysis in creative thinking on many boards, particularly those in which the arts are concerned. The effect is that local endeavor is being child and local involvement diminished.”
Elsewhere the senator has said there is "anger and bewilderment" in the community in Listowel.